Birds hit by coastal degradation in Asia

Declining numbers of migratory birds in Australia is the likely result of degrading coastal mudflats in northeast Asia, new research shows.

BirdLife Tasmania convenor Eric Woehler has co-authored a new global study, published on Thursday, which outlines how shore birds depend on healthy coastlines on the Yellow Sea between China and South Korea as stop-off points as they migrate.

"Every country along the migration route of these birds must protect habitat and reduce hunting to prevent the species heading to extinction," Dr Woehler said.

Data collected between 1993 and 2012 on 10 species which visit Australia and New Zealand showed a dramatic change in environment for the birds, University of Maryland assistant professor Colin Studds said.

"Scientists have long believed that loss of these rest stops could be related to the declines, but there was no smoking gun," Dr Studds said.

"The more a species relies on the disappearing Yellow Sea mudflats, the faster they are declining."

The affected bird species include the eastern curlew, which migrates from Australia to Russia, where it breeds, stopping along the way in China and Korea.